Monday, August 25, 2014

Three Days of Thankfulness

My aunt challenged me to share three things I'm thankful for over a five day period. After the first two days, I went out of town, and I didn't finish until yesterday. Here are the 9 things I'm thankful for for the days I missed.Thankfulness for Days 3 thru 5:

1. I'm thankful for roller coasters! My wonderful daughter, Melody, and I have made it our goal to visit as many amusement parks to ride as many roller coasters as we can. We added several more to our total over the weekend, and we had a blast!

2. I'm thankful for restaurants, which provide an easy solution for this single dad who hates to cook.

3. I'm thankful for Grace Adventures Day Camp! Where else can my wonderful daughter experience fun activities in a Christian environment in the middle of summer while I'm at work, and love every minute of it?

4. I'm thankful for Jim & Lynda Shirlen, my wonderful parents-in-law, and Melody's grandparents. I'm so thankful for their love and support and for all they do for us.

5. I'm thankful for Pittsburgh sports teams, the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. Even though I am not a Pittsburgh native, I identify so much with the Western Pennsylvania culture, mentality, and way of life, and the sports teams reflect those qualities. I'm so glad that my father is from that area, which means I can honestly claim it as my own. Honorable Mention goes to my University of Maryland sports teams, who I continue to faithfully support. Go Terps!

6. I'm thankful for my wife, Teresa. Even though we had less than five years of married life together, she was a model wife, and the love we shared was a gift from God. She was a wonderful mother, too, even if she only got to be a mom for five months. And if you knew Teresa, you know how great she was. Teresa was a blessing on so many. She was an awesome teacher, too! And she knew Jesus, and shared Him with all she met. I look forward to our reunion in Heaven.

7. I'm thankful for the bands I have been blessed to be a part of. From the great Frederick Douglass High School Symphonic and Marching bands, the incredibly fun jazz band, the Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band, and the ensembles I was fortunate to play with at my churches, Bells and Galesville United Methodist, to the fun times just jamming with one of my best friends, Kirk Roy, I've enjoyed every moment. I'm very happy that my daughter is following in my footsteps by playing in the band herself.

8. I'm so thankful for my wonderful friends. You know who you are. Thank you for supporting me, praying for me, spending time with me, and for all you've given me. You're all awesome!

9. And, finally, I'm thankful for this life. God gives us this wonderful gift, to know love, fellowship, community, compassion, joy, freedom, and the knowledge that, if we're willing to allow Jesus into our hearts, we will enjoy everlasting life in eternity.

Howard County Blogger

Joe Versus The Volcano

Go Terps!

Go Bucs!

Go Pens!

Here We Go, Steelers....!

Favorite Quotations

Matthew 16:23 - "But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'"

Isaiah 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

1 Peter 5:10 - "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope."

Titus 2:7-8 - "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Joshua 24:15 - "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Luke 2:14 - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

"Don't judge a man by where he is, because you don't know how far he has come." - C.S. Lewis

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence." - George Washington

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

"You don't lead by hitting people over the head -- that's assault, not leadership." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"The future starts today, not tomorrow." -- Pope John Paul II

"No man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence the Angel, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

"Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It's a good life; enjoy it." - Jim Henson